Monday, March 25

á           The U.S. Supreme Court left intact a federal appeals court ruling that said an unnamed company owned by an unidentified foreign government, had to comply with a subpoena issued by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and taken over by the U.S. AttorneyÕs office in Washington, D.C.

á           Michael Avenatti, the attorney who had represented Stormy Daniels in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump, was charged by federal prosecutors for extortion, wire fraud and bank fraud in two separate cases in New York and Los Angeles.

á           Six Democratic chairs of House committees sent a letter to Attorney General William Barr formally requesting that he release MuellerÕs full report to Congress and also begin transmitting underlying evidence to the committees by April 2.

á           The Justice Department changed its position in an appeal of a lawsuit filed by several Republican state attorneys general to have the entire Affordable Care Act voided, by agreeing with a lower agreeing with the lower court that the entire law is invalid. The DOJ had been arguing that the courts should invalidate the individual mandate while letting much of the rest of the law stand.

Tuesday, March 26

á           The Second Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments today on an appeal of a lower court ruling that it is unconstitutional for Trump to block people from his Twitter account because they express views critical of him.

á           Chief Justice John Roberts denied a request to delay a ban on bump stocks, devices that allow a semiautomatic gun to shoot more than one shot with a single pull of the trigger, from going into effect today while challenges to the ban are on appeal.

á           Women who said they were harmed by breast implants pressed a Food and Drug Administration advisory panel to take new steps to protect consumers, including bans or restrictions on certain products and a strengthened informed consent process.

á           The House failed to override TrumpÕs veto of CongressÕ disapproval resolution that sought to nullify his national emergency declaration at the U.S.-Mexican border by a vote of 248 to 181, 40 votes short of the two-thirds majority that would have been needed to override the presidential veto.

Wednesday, March 27

á           Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that authorities are having to release migrants into the country after cursory background checks with only a notice to appear in court because of the deluge of asylum-seeking families with children.

á           Sen. Patrick Leahy (D.-Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross declined to testify before the committee on his departmentÕs budget, a routine type of hearing.

á           Politico reported that Seven former senior Trump aides, including the White HouseÕs top ethics official, may have violated federal law by failing to disclose their future employment on financial reports.

á            David Goodhand, an assistant U.S. attorney, said in a hearing in U.S. District Court that the special counsel grand jury that investigated possible Russian collusion in the 2016 presidential election is Òcontinuing robustlyÓ despite the end of MuellerÕs probe.

á           Judge James E. Boasberg of the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C., issued two opinions rejecting permissions given by the Health and Human Services Department had given to both Kentucky and Arkansas to require people on Medicaid to work in exchange for the health benefits.

á           James A Fields, the neo-Nazi who drove into a crowd of counter-protesters to a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, pled guilty to federal hate crimes. He was already sentenced to life in prison in a state court trial for the offense, which killed Heather Heyer and injured 35 others.

Thursday, March 28

á           The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a second appeal of the bump stock ban, leaving the ban, which went into effect Tuesday, after the court refused to hear a first appeal on the issue.

á           The Commerce Department announced that the U.S. economy grew 2.2 percent in the final quarter of last year, less than the 2.6 percent the government initially estimated and another sign the economy is slowing.

á           A U.S. Border Patrol official reported that prosecutions of single migrants crossing the border for the first time in and around Del Rio, Texas, were suspended in February due to a lack of jail space. Instead they are facing instant deportation.

á           The Department of Housing and Urban Development charged Facebook with housing discrimination, alleging that its targeted advertising violates the Fair Housing Act by restricting who can view housing ads.

á           Trump announced he is rescinding his proposal to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics amid a bipartisan outcry.

á           TrumpÕs pick to serve as third in command at the Justice Department, overseeing health care and immigration cases, Jessie Liu, withdrew her name from consideration amid backlash from conservatives on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

á           U.S. District Judge John Bates of the District of Columbia blocked new rules from the Trump administration to make health insurance plans available outside the Affordable Care Act that avoid all the requirements of the law, calling the efforts, Òclearly an end-run around the ACA.Ó

Friday, March 29

á           House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone called for an investigation into communications subcontracts for millions approved by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma to, among other things, bolster her public profile.

á           Attorney General Barr said in a letter to Congress that MuellerÕs report detailing his investigation of Trump and RussiaÕs election interference will be delivered to Congress by mid-April or sooner and said he does not plan to submit the report to the White House beforehand.

á           Nevada Assembly member Lucy Flores, a onetime Democratic nominee for NevadaÕs lieutenant governor, accused former vice president Joe Biden of touching and kissing her without her consent during her campaign in 2014.

Saturday, March 30

á           No news to report.

Sunday, March 31

á           No news to report.